C.V. Starr dog park closed for repair

FORT BRAGG The off-leash dog park at the C.V. Starr Community Center will be closed for the foreseeable future as it gets a make-over.

The City of Fort Bragg and the center recently announced that the park will close the first week in March for rehabilitation

According to Ethan Newton, C.V. Starr director, the park will be regraded and soil amendments added to improve drainage. The park will then be hydro-seeded to establish a sturdy mat of turf.

"The work that will be completed will be scraping the surface of all existing vegetation," Newton said. "The surface will be graded with slight hills and swales to better control storm water runoff."

A drought tolerant, high-traffic resistant hydro seed slurry will be applied to the entire surface. Because the slurry contains seed, nutrients and a growing medium that protects the seed, he said it germinates and establishes quickly. C.V. Starr Center staff will monitor the growth and establishment of the new grass and determine when it will be ready for the heavy dog traffic it will receive.

The dog park renovation is a result of a joint decision made between the Mendocino Coast Dog Owners Group, the C.V. Starr Center and the city, which were concerned with the appearance of the park, Newton said.

"The dog park is the first thing people see when they enter the Starr Center parking lot. Bare dirt and scattered weeds are very unsightly and takes away from the curb appeal of the Starr Center," he said.

Dust is also a serious concern. Newton described the prevailing northwest winds, which "stir up quite a bit of dust."

"Not only is the dust unhealthy for dogs and humans to breathe," Newton said, "it also is a negative and costly maintenance issue for the Starr Center's ventilation equipment, which is on the roof and exposed to the airborne dust particles."

Newton said that alternatives considered for the dog park were pea gravel, wood chips or bark and different types of low growing ground cover. It was determined that grass is the most suitable and cost effective solution to meet all of the needs of storm water runoff, dust control and curb appeal.

The project will require closing the park for three to four months to allow the grass to grow.

Newton said at the recent Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District board of directors meeting that the cost of the dog park project is more than anticipated. Originally budgeted for $3,500, he said it will likely cost $9,000.

While the dog park is closed, residents and visitors can take their canine family members to Noyo Beach, at the end of North Harbor Drive, and the Mendocino Dog Park, behind the Community Center of Mendocino, at the corner of Pine and School streets in Mendocino.